Editorial: School accountability on the ropes

In the same week that the board of Fort Wayne Community Schools, the largest district in the state, rejected the notion of Indiana's A-to-F grading system for schools, Tippecanoe County's biggest district hedged its bets in a different way.

Both, though, show flagging confidence in how the state is putting high-stakes measures on public schools at a time when districts have the most at stake.

This week, the Fort Wayne Community Schools board passed a resolution saying the district wouldn't recognize the grades the state hands out and uses as a hammer for schools deemed to be failing. The resolution follows allegations that former state school Superintendent Tony Bennett manipulated the A-to-F system - an accountability measure he helped create - to make sure a charter school he held up as a model could go from a C to an A in 2012.

The Indianapolis Public Schools followed that by demanding Indiana Department of Education records to see what kind of communications Bennett shared when an IPS request to review a school's grade was rejected. Of note: The IPS request was for similar reasons Bennett demanded his unsolicited, helpful review of a political donor's charter school in Indianapolis.

While Fort Wayne's resolution might not amount to much more than a protest vote, it shows a level of discontent and distrust felt statewide about the foundation of Indiana's aggressive school reforms.

This week, Tippecanoe School Corp. didn't take up anything similar to Fort Wayne's resolution. But the board did agree to adjust how the state's standardized ISTEP scores will factor into teachers' evaluations. Less emphasis will be put on the test scores this year, after a series of computer glitches caused problems on several testing days. A state investigation indicated that the computer problems likely had little effect on overall results. But doubts remain, as TSC's action makes clear.

It's worth noting that the A-to-F grades also depend heavily on ISTEP results.

Gov. Mike Pence came to the defense of the A-to-F grades, saying there's time to review and save the system he insists is a good accountability measure for Indiana's schools.

Let's just say he has his work cut out for him and the state Department of Education.

Because faith in the system is beyond slipping.

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Editorial: School accountability on the ropes

In the same week that the board of Fort Wayne Community Schools, the largest district in the state, rejected the notion of Indiana's A-to-F grading system for schools, Tippecanoe County's biggest